The Italian athlete has been remarkable all the year long and he has performed extremely well getting better event after event. After a good start in Turkey, Gianmaria managed to finish 5th in Dakhla and 6th in Brazil where he almost made it to the final performing the best trick of his heat, the HA7, a move that just a couple of riders in the world landed during a competition.

Gianmaria ended up 6th in the overall world ranking of the elite league, and 1st in the qualifiers.

The Italian rider impressed everybody for his regularity, but most of all he has showed some incredible skills to land “blind” or “wrap” whenever he knows he can’t go for an extra 180° rotations.

The blind is a technical landing that requires great coordination. Thanks to his skill Gianmaria has been named as “blind master” by the WKC commentators, Bas Koole and Lewis Crathern, because he is considered to be the most solid and clean rider who is able to land a trick in this way.

Gianmaria, you are a freestyle specialist, how did you get to this discipline?

“I get to this discipline thanks to a friend of mine, Gabriele Garofalo, who was already practicing it. One day I went to look at him while he was performing in Terracina, he was jumping and making some tricks, and that’s when it all started”.

What do you like best in freestyle?

“What I love in freestyle is to be free to express myself the way I like the most and to convey my passion for this sport through my moves”.

How did you develop such a technique and attain your level in such a short time?

“The truth is that since I began to kitesurf I immediately devote 100% of myself to it. I’ve always experienced a lot of board sports, as skateboarding, skim boarding and others, but above all I have practiced ten years of sailing.

Since I began to kitesurf, and especially freestyle, I dreamed to compete with the best in the world. Living everyday with this thought has helped me to fulfill my desire”.

The blind master, what does this epithet represent to?

“Well, during any competition I’m always one of those who try to land “blind” any tricks (double handle passes), because it’s a way to add some technical difficulties to the maneuvers, and according to the weather conditions it may increase the score”.

What’s on your agenda now that the competition period is over? Are you going to take part in the tour next year?

“I actually stayed a bit longer in Brazil with Francesca after the last event. Now it’s time to come back to Italy, spend there the Christmas and relax. But we are going to start a new adventure soon, which will be in Australia in February. And then the freestyle world tour will restart, so I’m going to train to do better than this year”.

What your goals for the next year and how do you plan to achieve them?

“My main goal is to get to the final and face the best riders in the world. This year I was close to it during the event in Dakhla and Cumbuco, but now it’s time to train hard to succeed”.

Do you have a coach or do you train by yourself with Francesca?

“I don’t have a coach. Francesca and I push each other to improve our skills and bring our level higher and higher. Even during the competition we help each other and we try to be cohesive to give our best”.

Anything to add?

“Above all I do want to thanks my family that has always supported me in all my choices, Marco Baiocchi who has believed in me since the beginning, Duotone Kiteboarding who has always helped me and all those who follow me and love me”.